Game apparatus



A. c. WA'LAITY Oct. 18, 1938.

GAME APPARATUS Filed May 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l III/111m. u w

ATTOR N EYS wmss Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3Claims.

This invention relates to game apparatus and has for an object toprovide a game board having circuits for lighting by chance one or morelamps through the medium of inserting a game piece such as a metal discto bridge contacts arranged in two annular series on the game board, oneof the series being movable relatively to the other to change thecombination after a successful play.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will beformed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will beinexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view of game apparatus constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 andshowing two of the circuit closing contacts.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 andshowing the contacts in side elevation.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1 andshowing the electrical connections of one of the lamps.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view showing the bifurcated tip of the lampcontact for threadedly engaging the screw base of the lamp.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 8-8 ofFigure 1 and showing the battery connections.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical wiring of thedevice in position to light three lamps simultaneously.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical wiring of thedevice in position to light two lamps simultaneously.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views lfl designates a hollowbase frame of substantially rectangular contour having the top wall llprovided, with a central opening l2 in which is rotatably mounted a disc13 that is level with the top wall as shown in Figure 2.

The disc is mounted axially on a pivot pin l4 which coacts with a pairof screws I5 to confine a cup l6 upon the upper face of the disc. Thecup serves as a jack pot to receive game pieces such as metal discs I!which form circuit closers.

The top wall is provided with a plurality of 10 equidistant radiallyextending slots I8 and the disc is provided with a like number ofradially extending slots I9 which are adapted to be aligned with theslots l8 and receive one of the game pieces I! to close circuits bychance as 15 will presently be described. Battery cells 20 are arrangedin respective openings 2| in the wall as best shown in Figures 1 and 8and may be replaced by simply sliding the cells outwardly from betweenspring clips 22 which form terminals. 20

Preferably three lamps 23, 24 and 25 are located on the cover H at oneend of the base frame. As best shown in Figures 5, 6 and '7 a springclip 26 forms a circuit terminal and engages the center contact 21 ofthe screw base 26 28 of the lamp. A spring clip 29 forms a circuitterminal and is provided with a bifurcated end 30, best shown in Figure6, the branches of which are bent oppositely to each other as shown at3| and 32 in Figure 7 to threadedly engage the 30 threaded base of thelamp.

On one side of each slot of the top near the end thereof a switchcontact 33 is disposed and on the opposite side of the slot 19 in thedisc which aligns by chance with the slot l8, a 5 switch contact 34 isdisposed as best shown in Figures 1, 9 and 10.

The switch contacts 33 and 34 are shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4,each comprising a substantially V-shaped spring strip terminating in a40 rounded head 35 for contacting with the respective side of the discgame piece l1.

In wiring the device selected ones of the switch contacts 33 of theswitch contacts carried by the wall are connected together by loops orjumpers. 45 Likewise selected ones of the switch contacts 34 carried bythe spinner disc l3 are connected together by loops or jumpers. Theseloops will hereinafter be described by numerals so that circuits may betraced during the explanation of 50 the playing of the game.

The battery cells are connected in circuit with certain of the contacts33 carried by the top wall of the base frame and with the lamps so thatby inserting the game piece in certain slots one lamp, or two lamps, orall three lamps may be energized.

The parts are in position in Figure 1, to energize the intermediate lamponly and circuit may be traced from the battery on the right hand sideof the base frame, circuit wire 4|, disc l1, circuit wire 42, disc l1,at a predetermined point spaced from. the first named disc, circuit wire43, lamp 24, circuit wire 44, the battery on the left hand side of thebase frame, circuitwire 45 on the left hand side of the base frame, backto the battery on the right hand side of the base frame. Thus a singlelamp will glow. One or more up to l2'players may play, each player inturn inserting a metal disc in a selected slot until one or more lightsare energized and this ends the game. The

player who inserts the disc that causes the light to be energized thenplaces a disc in the jack pot I5 for each lamp not lighted and in theposition of the parts shown in Figure l the winner would place two discsin the jack pot. Then the spinner disc I3 is turned rapidly using thejack pot as a handle to change the combination, after the winner hasremoved all the discs from the slots to build up his score. Play againstarts led off by the winner inserting a disc in a selected slot. Playcontinues in this manner until a predetermined number of game pieces ordiscs is first won by any player.

As shown in Figure 9 the parts are arranged in the combination toenergize two of the lamps. It will be observed that players have in turninserted twenty discs to close circuits from the batteries through threeof the lamps as follows:

Beginning at the battery 20 on the right of the figure the circuit maybe traced through the wire 5|, jumper 52, jumper 53, jumper 54, jumper55, jumper 55, jumper 51, jumper 58, jumper 59, jumper 50, jumper 5|,jumper 52, jumper 63, jumper 54, jumper 55, jumper 55, jumper 51, jumper58, jumper 59, jumper Ill, circuit wire H, to the center lamp 24,conductor wire 12 to the battery on the left of the figure, andconductor wire 13 to the battery on the right of the At the same timethe current will divide through the jumper 55, passing through the lampand wire 12 to the battery 20 on the left of the figure. At the sametime the current will divide at the jumper 11 and pass through the lamp2! and thence to the battery 20 on the left of the figure returningthrough the wire 13 to the battery on the right of the figure.

The wiring diagram of Figure 10 shows two lights being litsimultaneously by closing of circuits from the battery through three ofthe lamps,

fourteen game pieces having been properly ap-' plied by the playersbefore the' winning player has played the final game piece.

The circuit may be traced from the battery 25 on the right of the figurethrough the circuit wire ll, jumper I2, jumper 93, jumper 54, jumper 95,jumper 95, jumper 91, circuit wire 99, through the lamp 23, circuit wire89 to the battery 2|!cn the left of the figure thence returning throughthe circuit wire 90 to the battery 20 on the right of the figure.

From the jumper 91 a circuit may be traced through the jumper 9|, jumper92, jumper 93, jumper 94, jumper 95, jumper 95, jumper 91, circuit wire95 to the intermediate lamp 24 and from thence through the conductorwire 99 to the battery 20 on the left of the figure thence returning tothe battery on the right of the figure through the conductor wire 90above mentioned.

The player who inserts the disc to cause all of the lights to light asindicated in Figure 9, wins all of the discs on the playing board andalso wins the jack pot.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully understood without furtherexplanation.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical game apparatus comprising a -fixed plate of insulatingmaterial having a central circular opening therein, a revoluble plate ofinsulating material mounted in said opening fiush with said fixed plate,there being a circular series of aligned radially extending slots in thefixed plate and in the revoluble plate, a plurality of metallic disccircuit closers adapted to each be received in one of the slots of therevoluble plate and an opposite slot in the fixed plate, annular seriesof oppositely disposed switch contacts on the lower faces of the fixedplate and revoluble plate at said slots adapted to be bridged by saidcircuit closing discs, a source of electric current on the fixed'plate,a plurality of signal lamps on the fixed plate connected in circuit withsaid source of current, jumpers electrically connecting together certainof the contacts on the revoluble plate, jumpers electrically connectingtogether certain of the contacts on the fixed plate, conductorsconnecting certain of the jumpers on the fixed plate with respectiveones of the lamps, and conductors connecting certain of the jumpers onthe fixed plate to said source of electricity, said lamps beingenergized singly, in pairs, or all simultaneously when said circuitclosing discs are manually inserted in respective predetermined patternsin said slots.

2. The structure recited in claim 1, in which said switch contacts aresubstantially V-shaped in contour and are provided with rounded contactends to permit easy insertion and withdrawal of the circuit closingdiscs.

3. The structure as recited in claim 1 in which said revoluble plate isprovided with a cup form ing a handle for revolving the plate andforming a container for said disc circuit closers.

. ANTHONEY C. WALAITY.

